Cruise company apologises after staff dress up as Maori for ‘culturally insensitive’ performance

A cruise company has apologised for a “culturally insensitive” performance in which the ship’s staff dressed up as Maori and danced for guests.

The Princess Cruises liner had docked at New Zealand’s Port of Tauranga when guests were welcomed onboard by people dressed in grass skirts with black markings on their faces.

Video shows the ship’s photographer was there to take pictures of passengers with the “Maori” as they arrived.

A Facebook user called Steve the Maori shared pictures of the spectacle, calling it “a disgrace”.

He pointed out that many cruise lines employ local Maori cultural groups to sing or perform dances to welcome travellers ashore, but that in this case “Princess Cruises are using their own non NZ staff, with careless scribbles on their faces wearing skirts which do not depict Maori culture which I personally find a disgrace”.

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rightCreated with Sketch.

1/14 Hokitika Gorge

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2/14 Lake Tekapo

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3/14 Mount Cook

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4/14 Waiau River, Hanmer Forest Park

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5/14 Fox Glacier

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6/14 Lake Wanaka

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7/14 Milford Sound

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8/14 Marlborough Sounds

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9/14 Fiordland National Park

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10/14 Abel Tasman National Park

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11/14 Split Apple Rock, Abel Tansman National Park

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12/14 Larnach Castle

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13/14 View from Larnach Castle over the Otago Peninsula

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14/14 Queenstown

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1/14 Hokitika Gorge

Getty

2/14 Lake Tekapo

Getty

3/14 Mount Cook

Getty

4/14 Waiau River, Hanmer Forest Park

Getty

5/14 Fox Glacier

Getty

6/14 Lake Wanaka

Getty

7/14 Milford Sound

Getty

8/14 Marlborough Sounds

Getty

9/14 Fiordland National Park

Getty

10/14 Abel Tasman National Park

Getty

11/14 Split Apple Rock, Abel Tansman National Park

Getty

12/14 Larnach Castle

Getty

13/14 View from Larnach Castle over the Otago Peninsula

Getty

14/14 Queenstown

Getty

“This practice needs to be discouraged.”

Princess Cruises says it “apologises unreservedly” for the incident.

A spokesperson said: “We took immediate steps to address this sensitive situation. After being made aware of the situation, the ship’s management team took action to withdraw the crew members from the area to prevent any further possibility of cultural insensitivity.

“We give a complete assurance that no offence was ever intended and we apologise unreservedly for what has happened.”

In a Facebook post which has since been removed, Air New Zealand wrote the following reply to someone enquiring about when the Koru Club lounge would be reopening at Wellington Airport: “Kia ora, our team are working hard to finish our amazing lounge for customers. We hope to have more information regarding this shortly.”

“Kia ora” is the equivalent of “hello” in Te Reo, or Maori, one of New Zealand’s two official languages.

The customer responded “I’m not Maori”, before asking, “Any likelihood it will be open by mid-December?”

Rather than holding back, Air New Zealand responded completely courteously – but with even more Maori language.

“We do not expect this lounge to be re-opened within 2019. However, taihoa koe ka kite all the amazing improvements we have made,” they wrote.